Priebus Won’t Rule Out Muslim Registry, Calls Parts Of Islam “Problematic”

Trump’s Chief Of Staff Defends Islamophobic National Security Adviser Michael Flynn

President-elect Donald Trump’s chief of staff, Reince Priebus, said Sunday he could not rule out a registry for Muslims under the incoming administration, although he added that it would not be based on religion. 

Priebus also called “some aspects” of Islam “problematic.” 

During his campaign, Trump at times advocated both a registry and a ban on Muslim immigrants. On NBC’s “Meet The Press” on Sunday, host Chuck Todd asked Priebus about Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, Trump’s newly appointed national security adviser, who’s made a number of Islamaphobic comments, including once sharing a tweet that said, “Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL.” 

“Can you equivocally rule out a registry for Muslims?” Todd said. 

“Look, I’m not going to rule out anything, but we’re not going to have a registry based on a religion,” Priebus responded. 

On ABC’s “This Week,” host Martha Raddatz noted that Flynn has said Islam is “not a real religion, but a political ideology masked behind a religion.”

“Is he in line with how President-elect Trump views Islam?” Raddatz said. 

“Well, I think so,” Priebus responded.”Look, phrasing can always be done differently, but clearly there are some aspects of that faith that are problematic, and we know them, and we’ve seen it.  It certainly isn’t a blanket for all people of that faith.” 

Reactions from Twitter below. 

And this is from the “reasonable” not a white supremacist adviser. https://t.co/zbg7AE5FfS

— Eric Lesh (@EDLesh) November 20, 2016